A Beat Too Long
by F.A. Star Hawk
Summary: Akaba/Kotarou one-shot. Akaba feels a little left out with Kotarou obsessing over Musashi.


FASH: Reading Week has begun! Finally I have some free time to write before I am pulled away by school work once again until summer vacation starts. Anyways, I'm going to try writing something a little different today (for me anyways) Akaba/Kotarou! Yay!

Disclaimer: Not mine.

""-speech

''-thoughts

Akaba's fingers elegantly strummed the strings of his guitar as he half-heartedly glared at his surroundings from behind his sunglasses, he didn't bother to be vocal about it because he knew that the very moment he opened his mouth to complain Kotarou would be all up in his face about how he didn't have to come anyways.

Indeed Akaba had decided to followed Kotarou around of his own volition for reasons-he-would-not-disclose but if he had known where they were going to end up he probably wouldn't have bothered.

So now he was stuck on the sidelines, sitting on a bench in a park watching Kotarou futilely challenging Musashi the '60 Yard Magnum' to a kicking match and if Musashi's reactions were anything to go by then Akaba supposed that his happened quite often. The redhead didn't even want to know how Kotarou had known where the other boy was and hoped that Kotarou just would run into Musashi by accident multiple times and challenge him with every meeting.

The mere thought that Kotarou spent massive amounts of time with his self-proclaimed 'rival' filled Akaba with a feeling he would be a fool not to call jealousy. It was even worse then when Kotarou would flirt with Juri because at least then he always knew how that would end and Kotarou's rather un-subtle wooing was nothing compared to the nearly obsessive, reckless way he'd approached Musashi filled with competitive passion.

Just watching the practically one way exchange made Akaba want to do something along the lines of going over to Kotarou, grabbing him by the scruff of his neck and drag him far, far away from Deimon's kicker. Even if it meant getting covered with Kotarou's saliva in the process since the other boy seemed to be rather fond of spitting at him when he was angry.

"Fuu." He sighed in boredom, his fingers pausing their movements and his eyes flickering over to Musashi who was doing a wonderful job of not letting Kotarou's challenge get to him.

'If this keeps up we'll be here all night.' He thought to himself, mentally stepping around the fact that he could leave at any given time and Kotarou probably wouldn't even notice or care.

He carefully put his guitar away and slung the case's strap over his shoulder before moving over to his dark haired companion.

It was Musashi who caught sight of him first and with a look of relief in his eyes and a smirk on his lips he promptly told Kotarou: "Your boyfriend's coming to get you." Kotarou swiftly turned to look at Akaba with a flush already spreading across his cheeks and he stared for just a beat too long before turning back to Musashi and rather loudly proclaiming: "That creep is not my boyfriend! Not smart, not smart at all." He leveled a glare at Musashi in a silent demand for the other boy to take back his words but his eyes were drawn away when Akaba placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let's get going, you'll just have to wait for another game to challenge him." Kotarou predictably shrugged away from Akaba's grasp but the redhead couldn't help but notice that the pink tinge that had re-appeared on Kotarou's cheeks.

Kotarou strutted forward without a backwards glance and Akaba followed after him with various thoughts smoothly running through his head. Most of them were centered around Kotarou's rather suspicious blush. A rather likeable theory formulated in his mind and Akaba would think himself a fool if he didn't test it out.

And so without any reservation he slung an arm around Kotaoru's shoulder, carefully noting how the other boy tensed up and paused, again for just a beat too long, before moving away and rambling something under his breath about how Akaba was 'not smart'.

"Really? Because I seem to recall that when I came back to Bando you said that I was the 'smartest' person there. You're contradicting yourself." He said as he pulled off his sunglasses, smirking lightly when Kotarou pursed his lips and leveled a glare at him before stomping off in a huff.

Akaba elegantly cocked an eyebrow and followed after Kotarou with a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.

It was one thing to pursue Kotarou if the boy hated him, but it was a whole different matter if Kotarou was simply being shy. Of course he'd try and deny it when Akaba would eventually bring it up and get overly defensive, but Akaba had his logic and deducing power on his side.

Kotarou, in other words, wouldn't stand a chance.


End file.
